


Trouble On My Tongue

by GrenadeFestival



Category: Marble Hornets
Genre: 'slow burn' more like self immolation, (don't be fooled by that last tag there's not actually any sex in this), Brian acts like he's in charge but he's a filthy shameless bottom, College, Fluff, Kissing, M/M, Pre-Canon, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-16
Updated: 2017-11-16
Packaged: 2019-02-02 07:47:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12722493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GrenadeFestival/pseuds/GrenadeFestival
Summary: “You weren’t making it weird,” Alex said.Brian raised an eyebrow.“Really,” he said, sounding skeptical, “You do realize I was flirting with you, right?”Alex’s stomach did a nervous flip.“I think so.”





	Trouble On My Tongue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [read-me-loud-and-queer](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=read-me-loud-and-queer).



> Look who stopped fucking around with that "plot" bullshit and just wrote some self-indulgent garbage about two dudes making out on a couch. My mom will be so proud.

 

“So, uh, what’s your major?” Alex asked, happy to finally be outside where he could hear himself talk. Inside the bass pulsed as loud as ever, but at least out here they couldn’t feel it rattling the frame of the house.

“Still figuring it out,” Brian said, taking a seat on the front steps, “Honestly I came here more to get away from my mom. School was just the easiest way to get my grandparents to pay for it.” 

Alex laughed a little and sat down next to him. 

“You sound like someone from my high school.” 

“God I hope not.” 

Brian took another swig of his beer. Alex raised an eyebrow, but before he could ask what Brian meant by that, Brian continued. 

“You?” he asked. 

“Uh, did I come here to get away from my parents?” 

“No, your major.” 

“Oh. Uh, film.” 

“Film? This place?” 

“Yeah, I know there are better schools nearby, but...I just didn’t feel like going too far. I’ve lived in this town my whole life,” Alex said, “And film is just like painting or writing. Once you get the techniques down, everything is else subjective. You can’t teach talent.” 

“I guess,” Brian said, “but there are good and bad ways to teach technique, and bad technique can kill an audience’s enjoyment of a movie.” 

“Yeah, but the best ways to light a scene and how to set up your shots is pretty standard. Sure, it’s nothing ground-breaking, but most movies aren’t these days.” 

“I guess. Best of luck to you.” 

“Thanks.” 

Alex took another drink from his cup. The beer was getting warm, and it left a thick, alcoholic fog in his mouth and nose. There were a few good swigs left, but he didn’t feel compelled to take them. He’d never really drank before, or even been to a party like this, and he didn’t want to risk anything. The last thing he wanted right now was to do or say something he would regret later in front of a guy he just met. Right now his only friends were a boisterous pack of bros that had forcefully absorbed him about a month ago during move-in. He’d been looking for excuses to escape and find more like-minded company ever since. This guy, Brian, seemed to fit the bill. He obviously had  _ some  _ appreciation for art, which was all Alex could ask for at this point.

“You have any projects or anything like that?” Brian asked, “Movies you want to make?” 

“I’m not sure yet,” Alex said, “I’ve got a list of ideas that I could make into a film, but nothing really solid yet. My best idea right now is a drama about a guy who comes back to his hometown after years of being away to try and win back his ex.” 

“Does he?” 

“I’m not sure yet. I don’t have a script written yet. That’s something I want to work on this year.” 

“What  _ do  _ you have figured out then?” 

“Uh, I have a few names figured out. Oddly enough, the main character’s name is, uh, Brian.” 

Brian’s eyes lit up with surprise, and he smiled. The expression was such a change from the apathetic confidence Alex had seen thus far. It caught him off guard. He was cute when he smiled. 

“Really?” Brian asked. 

“Yeah, I know,” Alex said. 

Brian laughed. 

“That’s so weird. What else?” 

“I’m thinking Sarah for his ex’s name. I know I need more characters than that, but I don’t have an ideas right now.” 

“Pretty rough idea then, huh?” 

“Yeah.” 

“You need any help?” 

“Maybe. Do you write?” 

“Me? No, not really, but there’s a guy in my sociology class who’s majoring in film. He told me he’s edited a few projects for friends - I think he’s a year ahead of us - so maybe he could help out.” 

“What’s his name?” 

“Jay, I think?” 

“Oh, really? I think I may have talked to him once or twice.” 

“Oh nice. Yeah, ask him about it, and if you need any actors, give me a call.”

“You act?” 

Brian lounged against the stairs with exaggerated cockiness. 

“I don’t like to brag, but I had a lead role in Guys and Dolls,” he said. 

“Oh, that’s cool. I don’t think I’ve seen that show,” Alex said. 

“It was a good time. I got slapped.” 

They lapsed into silence, staring out across the patchy lawn. Under the throbbing of the music inside and the quiet chatter of others on the porch, they could hear the breathy rush of traffic, out of sight behind the houses across the street. The air was cool, but Alex could barely feel it. Heat from being inside so long still clung to his clothes. Brian took a deep breath and looked down at the empty cup in his hand. He shook his head.  

“This beer really is terrible,” he said. 

“Yeah,” Alex agreed, though he wasn’t sure a good beer even existed. 

“So you’re from here, right?” Brian asked. 

“Yeah.” 

“Got any friends going to school here?” 

“There are a few from my class, but no, no one I talked to much.” 

“That sucks.” 

“Eh, I don’t really care. I didn’t have a lot of friends at my high school.” 

“Really? That can’t be right.” 

Alex felt his face warm. 

“Why do you say that?” 

“I don’t know, man, you seem like a nice guy to me.” 

“Uh, thanks.” 

“What hall are you in?” 

“Um, Charleston.” 

“Hey, same here! Must be fate.” 

Alex laughed a little. 

“Sure. What floor are you on?” he asked. 

“Third floor.” 

“Second.” 

“Hm, that explains it,” Brian said, a curious expression crossing his face. Alex was suddenly uncomfortably aware of his own heartbeat. 

“Explains what?” 

“Why I hadn’t noticed you before. If we were on the same floor, I know I would have.” 

Alex’s face was burning now. Was Brian...was he  _ flirting  _ with him? He swallowed hard as he felt a stab of anxiety in his gut. He didn’t want to be wrong. He didn’t want think about what might happen if he were wrong. He laughed nervously. 

“What’s there to notice?” he asked. 

Brian shrugged. 

“I’ve always liked a guy in glasses.” 

Oh Lord. Not wrong. 

Brian’s expression suddenly changed, as if he realized what he was doing. He sighed and turned back towards the street. 

“Shit, I’m sorry.” 

“Uh, for what?” 

“Making it weird.” 

He looked down at his cup, probably wishing there was more alcohol in it. 

“You weren’t making it weird,” Alex said. 

Brian raised an eyebrow. 

“Really,” he said, sounding skeptical, “You do realize I was flirting with you, right?” 

Alex’s stomach did a nervous flip. 

“I think so.” 

Brian paused, clearly not expecting that answer. His surprise was replaced by a mischievous smile. 

“You  _ think _ so?” he asked. 

“I mean...I didn’t want to be wrong,” Alex murmured, taking another sip of his beer. 

“Well, good news.” 

Alex’s skin was on fire now. Maybe he drank more than he thought and he was hallucinating now (because that’s  _ definitely _ how alcohol worked, right?) People never noticed him, much less other guys, and much less in a  _ romantic  _ way. People in this town just...well they just weren’t  _ like  _ that. He’d never met a gay person from here in his life. Sure there was that one cousin on his mother’s side, but she hardly counted. She’d fucked off to California years ago, for the same reason Alex had resigned himself to never having a boyfriend. 

“You seem nervous,” Brian said, his voice dropping down to a murmur. 

“Well, yeah,” Alex said, unable to keep the snark out of his tone, “I wasn’t expecting to meet  _ anyone _ tonight, much less…”  

Brian laughed.

“Relax, it’s ok. I don’t bite,” he said. He smiled as if there was something else he wanted to add, but decided against it. He glanced behind Alex as the front door opened and another crowd of people, all somewhat tipsy, walked out onto the porch. 

“D’you wanna get out of here?” he asked, “We could, uh, go back to my room. Where it’s quieter.” 

“Um...I don’t have my car,” Alex said. 

“Me neither, but lucky for us we have legs.” 

“Kind of far to walk, don’t you think?” 

“It’ll be ten minutes tops, come on.” 

Brian stood and held his hand out. For a second, Alex hesitated. Was he really going to do this? He took a breath and took Brian’s hand, answering his own question. He was surprised by how flustered that one touch made him feel. He wavered for a moment as Brian pulled him up. Brian laughed. 

“You didn’t even finish your beer,” he said. 

“No, it’s not that,” Alex said. He wondered if Brian could tell how warm his face was. 

“Just clumsy?” 

“Uh, not usually.” 

“Oh. I’m flattered.” 

_ Christ.  _

Brian set his empty cup down on the porch, and Alex did the same, unsure of what else to do with it. Brian put his hands in his pockets and the two of them walked down to the sidewalk. Even as they reached the intersection at the end of the street, they could still hear noise from the party as people continued to come outside where it was cooler and less crowded. Alex felt like he should say something, but no words came to mind. Luckily Brian decided to fill the silence. 

“So, film major, what’s your favorite movie?” he asked. 

“I’m not sure I can pick just one.” 

“Favorite one you’ve seen recently then.” 

“Uh, I thought  _ The Aviator  _ was good. It got nominated for a lot of awards.” 

“Yeah, I think I’ve heard of it.” 

“It’s about Howard Hughes. You’ve heard of him, right?” 

“I’m sure I have, but I can’t place the name.” 

“He directed  _ Scarface  _ and  _ Hell’s Angels. _ ” 

“Never seen ‘em.” 

“Seriously? I’ll have to show you some time.” 

“You’re going to have to show me a lot of things. I’m not very well versed in film.” 

“I hope you like obscure indie films.” 

Brian laughed. 

“As long as they’re good.” 

The campus was quiet when they finally arrived. The heat that still clung to Alex’s jacket was long gone now, and he longed for the safety of his room. He stopped as he had a thought. 

“Um, is your roommate going to be home?” he asked. 

“Definitely not,” Brian said, “I barely see him, even during the week.”  

Alex took a deep breath as they kept walking towards the dorms, wishing that had any real power to stop his gut from humming like TV static inside him. They cut across the quad towards the dorms, the yellow lamplight casting purple shadows on the two of them. Alex lingered behind Brian and found himself staring at the way his hair caught the light and at the contrast of his dark jacket against the light gray of the concrete. He wished he had his camera with him. 

The moment was broken as they walked into Charleston hall’s common area, and the lighting changed from soft and cinematic to harsh and industrial. They walked up to the third floor, the sound of their footsteps echoing up and down the stair well. Below them, Alex heard another group of people coming back, but their voices faded away when they reached the second floor landing. He remembered with a jolt that there were other people around. Would they know why he was there? Would they care? He told himself to relax. Anyone who saw them probably wouldn’t assume anything. 

The third floor of Charleston was an exact copy of the second, but to Alex it felt like another planet. Bleak off-white walls with faded mint green accents made up the long hallway, lit with humming overheads. One of the lights flickered weakly, and an unidentifiable, musty smell hung in the air. The hall was devoid of the dumb posters and random detritus Alex had grown used to, save for a single gray sock hung up with duct tape next to someone’s door. Obviously the guys on this floor weren’t quite as rowdy. 

“On the second floor, the RA decorated the hallway with kind of a space theme. I wasn’t sure what kind of theme you guys were going for at first, but I think I see it now. Prison block, right?” Alex said. 

Brian laughed. 

“Yeah, it’s not done yet. We still have to order the jumpsuits and replace all the doors with bars. I hear the RA has a nightstick in case it gets a little  _ too _ fun up here,” he said. 

Alex laughed. 

“He’s slacking. That sock on the wall looks a little too festive to me.” 

Brian grinned. They stopped in front of a door with two minimalistic name tags that read “Brian” and “Tod.” As Brian began patting himself down looking for his keys, Alex spotted a guy in Star Wars pajamas walking out of a small common area at the end of the hall. The guy waved when he saw Brian. 

“Hey, Brian, what’s up?” he asked. 

“Hey Phil,” Brian said, “Nothing much.” 

“I thought you were at a party.” 

“I was.” 

Phil looked at Alex who gave him a half wave before pretending to be very interested in the other name tags on the doors. Phil chuckled. 

“You guys get bored?” he asked. 

“You could say that,” Brian said. 

“I’m Phil,” Phil said, holding his hand out towards Alex. Alex shook it and forced a smile. 

“Alex.” 

“Don’t think I’ve met you.” 

“I’m on the second floor.” 

“Oh, cool! Well, see you guys later.” 

“Bye Phil,” Brian said, opening the door to his room and switching the light on as Phil continued down the hall. 

Alex released a breath as they walked into Brian’s room and shut the door. Brian gave him an amused look. 

“You ok, there?” he asked. 

“Yeah, fine.” 

Alex took a moment to look around the room. Like all the rooms in Charleston, it was small with two elevated beds, two desks, and two chests of drawers. One side of the room was decorated with a few football posters. A variety of textbooks sat out on the desk, and under the books were a few opened envelopes, their contents likely stored in one of the drawers. Alex spotted a jersey hanging out of the dresser and a duffle bag of sports gear shoved between the dresser and the wall, sticking out just enough to be an inconvenience. The bed was a tangled mess of sheets and homemade fleece blankets, and a few charging cords lay sprawled out at the foot. Dirty paper plates were piled up in the garbage, and a small mountain of clothes had collected under the bed. 

The other side, the side Alex assumed belonged to Brian, looked much more plain by comparison. The desk was bare save for a paperback book about psychology and a desk lamp. A box of crackers sat on top of the dresser along with a toothbrush and a bottle of shampoo, but it too was otherwise clean. The bed was lofted, and underneath it was a futon with a small tear in the corner of the mattress. Next to the futon was a cardboard box, still taped shut and labeled with Brian’s name. It seemed a little sad to Alex, but at least it wasn’t messy. 

Brian shrugged off his jacket and tossed it onto the desk chair before flopping down on the futon. He took a deep breath and checked his phone for texts. Finding none, he looked up at Alex. He smiled. 

“You gonna stand there all night?” he asked. 

Alex snapped his eyes away from the collection of soda cans in the window and looked at Brian. He took off his own jacket and hung it off the back of Brian’s chair before walking over and joining him on the futon. 

“So, when did you say your roommate was coming back?” he asked. 

“Probably not until late,” Brian said, “He’s never back before 1 or 2 am on the weekends. I think he’s rushing for one of the frats.” 

“Do you get along with him?” 

“I do when I see him, but I get along with everyone. You’d have to do something really messed up to piss me off.” 

Alex chuckled nervously. 

“That’s good.” 

Brian laughed. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” 

“Uh, nothing, I’m not...I wasn’t planning on pissing you off or anything, I’m just…” 

_ Rambling, I guess.  _

Brian smiled. 

“You’re adorable,” he said. 

Alex wondered if Brian could hear how hard his heart was pounding. He tried to form a coherent thought, but none of the words in his head sounded like they belonged together, and  _ fuck  _ was it this hot in here when they walked in? His skin felt all...warbly, but wait what the fuck that wasn’t a word, that wasn’t how normal humans described thing, that didn’t make  _ sense _ , what was he thinking, and holy shit Brian’s hand was on his knee now oh Christ, yes, wait no, yes, what-. 

Brian’s lips were a little dry, but Alex didn’t notice. He couldn’t feel anything, anymore, except heat and soft, insistent pressure as Brian leaned over and kissed him. All he could hear was the rush of blood in his ears, and the soft creak of the futon as he braced his hand against it to keep himself from falling backwards. For a moment he tasted the light flavor of alcohol on Brian’s breath, but it was drowned out by the warm smell of his skin. Brian’s other hand roamed to Alex’s back, eliciting a surprised breath from Alex. Brian stopped and opened his eyes. 

“You’re really tense,” he whispered. 

“Sorry,” Alex murmured back. 

“No, no, Alex...Look if this is...if I, uh, misread the situation, and you’re not into this, then I don’t want to keep going. I’d rather you say something. You won’t hurt my feelings.”

“No, it’s not that, I want to, it’s just...I’ve never really, um, done this before.” 

“Kissed anyone?”

“No…”

“Kissed a guy, then.” 

All Alex could do was nod. Brian smiled. 

“Well, then. Let me show you what you’ve been missing.” 

He leaned in and kissed Alex again. Slowly. Gently. It felt like a bomb going off. Alex pushed back, taking his hand off the futon and grasping Brian’s arm. He felt Brian smile against his lips. His grip on Alex’s knee tightened, and his kisses became more fervent, as if all he wanted was to crush himself against Alex’s chest. Now there was an idea. 

Brian jumped suddenly as his leg slid off the futon, effectively killing the moment. He laughed. 

“I hate this thing,” he said, “Hang on.” 

He stood up, and Alex felt disappointed as cold spots crept across his body where Brian’s hands had been. Brian didn’t seem too happy about it either, as he made quick work pushing the futon down flat. He kicked his shoes off as Alex sat further back on the mattress, taking advantage of  the extra space. Brian took a deep breath before looking back at Alex, that mischievous smile creeping across his face again. 

“Anyway,” he said. 

He climbed back onto the futon, hands sliding along the mattress on either side of Alex, and leaned in to kiss him again. Another flood of warmth rushed through Alex’s face. He ran his fingers over Brian’s hands, feeling the hills and valleys of his knuckles. When their lips met again, it still sent shocks through Alex’s gut, but now that wasn’t enough for him. He sat forward, put one hand on Brian’s waist, and kissed him back, snagging his bottom lip with his teeth. Brian didn’t fight him and even seemed to enjoy it, which was all the invitation Alex needed. He pulled Brian closer, and, a little more roughly than he meant to, flipped him underneath him. He paused, slightly embarrassed. 

“Sorry,” he muttered. 

For perhaps the first time that night, Brian wasn’t wearing a calm, collected smile or a mischievous grin. He seemed stunned, but…not unhappy with this turn of events. 

“You’re just full of surprises aren’t you?” he said, his smile returning. 

“Oh shut up,” Alex said, crushing his lips against Brian’s. He laced their fingers together, pinning Brian’s arm against the mattress. Thoughts tried to form in his head as they kissed, but none took hold. There was no room to process his roiling cocktail of anxiety, ardor, and almost eerie calm, so he didn’t try to. In that moment, shutting his brain off and making out with a guy he barely knew felt like the most natural thing in the world. 

Finally they broke apart and stopped to breathe. Brian ran his free hand up Alex’s back. 

“How long are you staying?” he asked. 

“How long do you want me to stay?” Alex murmured, catching Brian’s other hand and pinning it to the futon as well. Brian smiled. 

“You don’t want to leave that up to me,” he said. 

“Because I’ll never leave, right?” 

“Yeah, probably.” 

“Then I guess I don’t see the problem.” 

“Alex, you are a man after my own heart.”

“As if you haven’t been trying to seduce me all night.”

_ “Trying? _ Oh Alex…”

Brian raised his head and kissed him again. He planted kisses along Alex’s jaw, and Alex drew in a sharp breath. When Brian spoke next, his voice was a low murmur. 

“I’ve got you right where I want you.” 


End file.
